Musk drama, Cybertruck numbers: What to watch for in Tesla's earnings report

Tesla CEO Elon Musk's latest drama:

• I wouldn't be shocked to see questions on the analysts' call about his threat to pursue AI initiatives outside Tesla if the board doesn't give him more stock.

Sales and product outlook:

• Deliveries rose 38% last year — hefty but short of Musk's previously stated 50% annual target.
• Watch for news (or at least tea leaves) on how the Cybertruck ramp is proceeding, and long-promised — and long-delayed — plans for a low-cost vehicle.

Margins, margins, margins:

• Rounds of price-cutting to juice sales — which hit a new record in Q4 — have been coming at the expense of per-vehicle profits.
• Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein writes that Tesla's overall business has some tailwinds as lower prices were partially offset by lower material costs and record deliveries.
• He adds that "growing profitability of the energy generation and storage segments should help companywide margins."

Ripped from the headlines:

• I'll also be watching for questions about Hertz hitting the brakes on its EV plans, given that Tesla's a major supplier.
• Tesla and other EV makers are also facing criticism for battery and charger woes in the recent Arctic blast.